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MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society, supports the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) following the announcement of its new $10 million Produce Prescriptions (ProduceRx) program. This initiative integrates nutritious food into clinical care to help prevent and treat chronic, diet-related diseases and address food insecurity in high-poverty communities.
The ProduceRx program will fund Maryland-based coalitions, government agencies, and academic institutions to implement these services over a two-year period in ENOUGH communities, which are defined by specific childhood and school poverty metrics.
From a policy perspective, integrating programs like ProduceRx into clinical care demonstrates a structural framework shift in how our state addresses chronic disease.
The program also aligns with the core values of MedChi's recent nutrition webinars, which highlighted these critical health changes.
MedChi President Dr. Eric Wargotz led the webinars, emphasizing the importance of state nutrition and health, alongside prominent speakers such as Dr. Neal Barnard, Dr. Aruna Nathan, Dr. Andy Harris, and Senior Legislative Assistant Matthew Arthur.
"The Maryland Department of Health's new program aligns with some of the exact changes in nutrition and health that we have been highlighting," Wargotz said. "Providing produce prescriptions allows practitioners to offer an impactful intervention for diet-related conditions, directly addressing chronic disease and food insecurity where it is needed most."
Proposals for the grant funding are due by August 17, 2026, with letters of intent due by July 20, 2026.
MedChi encourages eligible organizations to review the state's Request for Applications (RFA) to support the expansion of nutrition-based clinical interventions across Maryland.
Gene M. Ransom III
CEO
MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society
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